Building a Strong Partnership with Canada

BCFNJC, in partnership with the Province of BC, released the BC First Nations Justice Strategy in 2020, with Canada later committing to supporting the implementation of the Strategy in 2021, through a tripartite MOU.

The BC First Nations Strategy was completed prior to the United Nations Declaration Act becoming law in Canada. As part of engagement work to develop a submission to Canada for the Federal Indigenous Justice Strategy, BCFNJC worked with experts to identify key pieces of legislation that would need to be amended to become UNDA compliant.

A memorandum of understanding was signed, marking a shared commitment by the Department of Justice Canada, the Attorney General of Canada, the Attorney General of British Columbia, and BCFNJC, to support the implementation of the BC First Nations Justice Strategy, and to advance shared priorities relating to Indigenous justice.

Leaders from BCFNJC, BC and Canada met in Victoria for the first annual tripartite minister’s meeting,  to discuss how the BC Strategy aligns with and informs provincial and federal Indigenous justice initiatives, and how Canada and BC envision supporting the restoration of First Nations legal traditions and structures.

Public Safety Canada joined the tripartite MOU, committing to support the implementation of the BC First Nations Justice Strategy, as it pertains to public safety.

The federal government’s 2023-2028 Action Plan was released to serve as a roadmap to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

BCFNJC has met with the Declaration Act Secretariat on several occasions to identify how best to move this work forward.

BCFNJC, BC and Canada met at the Vancouver Indigenous Justice Centre to discuss how to advance justice issues as outlined in the BC First Nations Justice Strategy.

On March 8th, 2025, the federal government released Canada’s first-ever federal Indigenous Justice Strategy. The Strategy sets out a vision and priority areas to guide collaborative work going forward by Indigenous peoples, Canada, and provinces and territories, to advance transformative reforms throughout the criminal justice system and to support the revitalization of Indigenous laws and legal orders.

BCFNJC welcomed the federal government’s release of the first National Indigenous Justice Strategy to address systemic discrimination and the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the Canadian justice system.

BCFNJC, BC and Canada met virtually to discuss how the BC Strategy aligns with and informs provincial and federal Indigenous justice initiatives, including any new priorities that impact work in this area, and how Canada and BC envision supporting the restoration of First Nations legal traditions and structures.